Baffle member for combustion chambers



p 1, 1953 w. R. HOWLAND ET AL 2,650,555

BAFFLE MEMBER FOR COMBUSTION CHAMBERS Filed Aug. 14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheetl lNVENTORS WILLIAM R. HOWLAND and IVAN D. TEFFT I Maw ATTORNEY Se t. 1,1953 w. R. HO WLAND ET AL 2,650,555

BAFFLE MEMBER FOR COMBUSTION CHAMBERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 14,1950 29 so 32 24 29,32,30, ,25, 25a,

IIHHIIIIHIIIHII INVENTORS WILLIAM R. HOWLANDond B IVAN D. TEFFT FIG.3

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 1, 195 3 l UNITED STATES BAFFLE MEMBER FORCOMBUSTION CHAMBERS William R. Rowland, Milton Junction, and Ivan D.Teflt, Janesville, Wis., assignors to Vane-- Plate 00., Janesville,Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin l Application August 14, 1950,SerialNo. 179,342

This invention relates to combustion aids for heating units.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a highly eificientbaffle for easy installation over and adapted to function in conjunctionwith the combustion chamber of a heating unit; which baflle isconstructed of a high diffusivity metal,

and is so shaped and so positioned relative to said combustion chamberas to greatly increase the combustion efficiency of said heating unit,and thus reduce fuel costs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combustion aid forheating units which not only serves as a combustion aid, but also servesas a heat diverter, as his so formed and positioned over the combustionchamber as to divert the heat of the flame from a substantially verticaland central path in the furnace, to a path closely following the contourof the heat-transfer wall over the entire height of said wall, thuscausing the heat to impinge on the heat-transfer wall in such manner asto utilize said entire wall as a radiator, and increasing the thermalefficiency of said furnace by transferring more of the heat of theflames to the medium to be heated.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a combustion aid forheating units which has adjustable legs as to enable the installer toproperly position said combustion aid on combustion chambers of arelatively wide range of diameters.

A further object of this invention is to' provide a combustion aid whichimproves the operation of heating units by slowing down the speed of thehot products of combustion in their path through the furnace, and byincreasing the turbulence in the combustion chamber to aid thecompletion of combustion, thus reducing the amount of unburned orpartially burned fuel and the unpleasant odor of such, and to aid inquieting and mufiling of the flame roar.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a combustion aidfor intermittently-fired furnaces such as oil burning furnaces, whichwhile inexpensive to produce, is sturdy and will not crack anddisintegrate as do refractory plates, when subjected to the repeatedstresses set up by alternate heating and cooling.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent froma description of a preferred embodiment of the invention taken inconnection with the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coal furnace converted to the use ofoil with the combustion aid installed; the furnace casing, firepot,ashpit,

3 Claims. (01. 110-47) and cement fill being cut away to expose saidcombustion aid and the refractory combustion chamber. i i i Fig. 2 is anenlarged, fragmentaryperspective view of the firepot; ashpit, andcementfill, which have been cut away to disclose the combustion aid andthe combustion chamber.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken through thecenter of the firepot, ashpit, combustion chamber, and combustion aid.

In Fig. 1 the combustion aid I0 is shown positioned in a cast iron typecoal furnace which has been converted to the use of oil. The unitdisclosed comprises a casing II and a bonnet I2, both enclosing aradiator l3, a furnace proper M, a firepot IS, an ashpit l6, and an ashcleanout bay ll assembled in conventional manner. Conversion of saidheating unit to the use of oil has been accomplished by the removal of acoal grate formerly situated at the bottom of the firepot i5, and theconstruction in the ashpit 16 of a combustion chamber l8 with refractorywalls l9 and refractory floor 20, with cement fill- 2| poured betweenthe wall of said ashpit l6 and walls l9. A standard gun type oil burningconversion unit 22 having a nozzle 23 is shown installed adjacent theheating unit, with said nozzle projecting slightly into the combustionchamber l8. Our combustion aid !0 is shown properly positioned relativeto the combustion chamber l8, said positioning being accomplished byproper adjustment of the height and straddle-diameter of the supportinglegs. A l

The combustion aid l0 comprises a disc-shaped body 24 of sheet stainlesssteel spun or stamped into a substantially frusto-conical shape with aplurality of concentric annular lands 25 spaced along the angular wallsof said body, which lands serve to increase the radiating area of saidbody, and to slow down and impart turbulence to the burning air-fuelmixture when the burner is in operation.

The body 24 is fashioned of sheet stainless steel, which will not crack,check, or disintegrate as refractory plates do. Said body is of highthermal conductivity, and thus will heat up extremely rapidly. This isan important consideration in the operation of an intermittently-firedfurnace, where a large drop in the combustion efficiency is caused bythe lag between the time that said furnace "goes on to burn fuel, andthe time that the refractory materials in the combustion chamber heat upto aid such combustion.

The central portion 21 of the body 24 is dished to engage in aperturesstamped in the annular walls of the body 24. Thus the legs can be slidradially centerward and outward of the body 24, permitting one size ofcombustion aid Ill to be positioned on combustion chambers of a widerange of diameters.

The outermost land 25a of the body 24 is perforated at for each of thelegs 28 by a petforating die so constructed as to form an apertare 39cmfo a tra 3! o ec in outward .ircm. sai u e mcst l nd. The iic izcntalnor: tions 29 of the legs 26 slidably pass through said straps 3|, an Pae i t t iru to-ec i a i terier c he b d .24. t r ectan u ar per..-vfdiet;one 3 s ablished in a o said t ps in said body.

c the less 26 has p ra ity o hericnt deeply-s i ed lines 33 which pe mitthe y lbc tenins oi sa d less y me ely knocki r ben ng ef t e l n h o lesi to. be retriev d, Thu th ecmb s i n a t can b easi pc ticned e an s zo shape of com hu ticn chamber- We la ins unit mpri i g an upri ht, eereilyey indr cal wall having a ea its i n .face orti n form d arefracto y at ial and defi i a eembu t cn chamb r having an open upperend a fuel burner for delivering fuel into sa d hambe and burnin ittherein, and a combustion aid device including a hollow, generallyconical baflie member formed from stainless steel and of substantiallyuniform thickness and having jor ned therein a plurality of concentric.annular lands with their faces generally perpendice iilar t th ax oisaid ba l member, and a eliirei ty of le s spac d c u ren ally around.and extendin r d all rom said bafl m m r. each leg aving a dcwnt ned endrest n upon the top ge of ai we sa d le s to ether s p! perta ns saidbaffle member a e c nward y in.- a position generally in alignment withsaid con biis iee cha ber an spaced om bu ufli iently slcee t0 he topedge o aid wel to d fin n annular outlet from said combustion chamberand whereby substantially all of the heat which is reflected by thelower face of said baffle member is reflected into said chamber.

2. A combustion aid device adapted for installe e e er a c mb cn hamb rf i type fined b an upri t wa l. a d havin a p upper end, said devicecomprising a hollow, generally conical bafiie formed from stainlesssteel of substantially uniform thickness, a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced supporting legs extending radially from saidbaflie member, each leg having a generally horizontal portion connectedto said baille; member and a downturned outer end portion outwardlybeyond said baffle member for supper-ting said device on the top edge ofthe combustion chamber wall, and means formed on said baffle memberintermediate the apex and base edge and slidably receiving thehorizontal portions of said legs respectively connecting said les iicaid hafiie m m e ,fer adia ad stme relatively to the latter.

A ccinhueti n aid de i ted or st lls e er a ecmeu i ii cha of e typedefined. by an u ri ht a and having an cnen upper nd aid dev c r i a holw, en

WILLIAM R. HOWLAND. IVAN n. TEFFT.

lfteferen98$ Gited in the file or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Numbr Name D t m sic ttier Sen 1 91' 132%97 Braut em ---.1-- Au 27; 1929 ,i.9;1 cwers Feb, 28, 193 2,186,374 Faulds Jan, 9,,1940 192,5 Milled Mar,5, 9 2 2869% 7 g June 16, 9 2 asicei Apr. 10, 1951 2 .5i x12l hr sten en1

